I think patriotism runs deep especially among the overseas Chinese. They know that their home country is they can turn to whenever they are in trouble overseas. Take the case of China's efforts to evacuate about 35,800 workers and help them flee the chaos engulfing Libya in 2011. Once again China takes its people back home from Hurricane Irma stricken areas.

(China Daily) China Eastern Airlines crew members greeted Chinese nationals who had been transferred to St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, in the West Indies with a warm "Welcome home!" as two chartered planes landed at V.C. Bird International Airport.

After Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean island of Dominica, 377 of the more than 400 Chinese who found shelter are finally getting a ride home.

Chen Gangjun, 48, had been doing construction work in Dominica as part of an assistance project carried out by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp.

"Many of our fellow workers woke up very early and came to the canteen at 4 am, much earlier than usual. ... Everybody is very excited and eager to go home. They couldn’t bear waiting anymore," Chen said. "I shared the feeling, and I don’t feel tired at all."

Sun Haojie, director of a Chinese agricultural aid program in Dominica, waited to board with his wife and their 2-year-old son.

"I really want to express my gratitude for our motherland. Without the combined efforts of so many departments, we would not be able to return home in such a short period of time," Sun said.

"My son seems to understand the good news, too. He is particularly excited this morning－I just hope he will not be troubled by the long flight."

Meanwhile, the 64 China Eastern Airlines crew members had also prepared for the flight, which will take them over 19 countries. The total round trip is about 35,000 kilometers, said Guo Wanqing, one of the chief pilots in command. "We might not be able to send you to all the places around the world, but we have the ability to bring you back home when you are in trouble, wherever you are."

Embarking on the journey back home, relief and anticipation were clearly written on the faces of the formerly stranded Chinese. Everyone was holding a small national flag. Among them, a passenger held a sign saying "CCECC worker, gratitude toward the motherland".

You know, a while back I mentioned that the Chinese men in China all talk to me with their heads down. But how come the Mainland Chinese men I meet in Thailand that have managed to settle happily here always look at me directly, and they smile, and I become the shy one.

Anyway, there are a lot of overseas Chinese that still love China, but there are also a lot of overseas Chinese that don't care. I don't really love China as a country. But I love Chinese civilization, I really do. I wish you could revive it. Stop the western dress code. It's everywhere, and super BORING.

I do not think that repatriating its own citizens shows the latter's "patriotism". When Libya kicked the Chinese out, they had no other place to go than back to China. Why did they go to Libya in the first place? They were NOT "overseas Chinese". Overseas Chinese are people from other countries with Chinese immigrant blood. They don't belong to China and most don't want to emigrate to China.

Chinese patriotism is forced patriotism. Starting from the primary education, propaganda is part of the curriculum. In later life, at least for the more educated, options for career development often depend on patriotism (or let's spell it like it is - support to the Party) that one shows.

Chinese patriotism is not so much "defense" against the outside world, but against one's own country.

seneca Post time: 2017-10-3 20:03
Any country owes it to its citizens to take them back if their destination is experiencing a calam ...

Got to agree with you on this one, those Chinese working and living overseas are not "overseas Chinese", they are Chinese nationals. The Chinese media and many locals, and even official organs like to refer to them as "overseas Chinese", very weird! Is it another translation fault?